From the July 2016 issue
Wouldn?t it be great if the coolest cars in history could go back into production" The currently finite supplies of fragile vintage metal could be augmented by reproductions updated with modern engines and technology. Well, fantasize no longer; a provision in last year?s FAST Act highway-funding law lays the groundwork for such a reality.

300:
Today the DeLorean motor company is just a restoration shop specializing in the iconic gullwinged sports car. By next year, it could be building the first of 300 replicas with modern mechanicals.

Originally introduced as the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of 2015, the law allows manufacturers to apply for an exemption from NHTSA safety and crash-test standards for up to 325 ?replica motor vehicles? annually. These repli-mods still will have to meet current-year emissions standards, which will require new EPA-certified production engines and emissions controls. NHTSA will grant a waiver only to companies building fewer than 5000 vehicles worldwide annually, and the replicas will need to be licensed from the original manufacturer. That last detail is exciting, as it ­creates a potential profit motive for carmakers to sanction revivals of their most memorable designs. The immediate beneficiary is today?s kit-car industry, which will be able to sell turnkey Shelby Cobra clones and Ford hot rods with engines already installed. While that intent is clear, the language concerning what constitutes...